The present invention relates to a crash safety device of a vehicle for preventing a knee of a driver from interfering with a brake master vac mounting portion, a clutch master vac mounting portion or the like at a time when a great force is applied at a time of collision of the vehicle or the like so as to keep safety of the driver.
FIGS. 9 and 10 show a summary of a steering master vac mounting portion 26, a brake master vac mounting portion 25a and a clutch master vac mounting portion 24a within a cab in a forward control vehicle, and a mounting structure therefor.
As shown in FIG. 10, a leg portion 30 of a driver brought into contact with a floor panel 23 on the sole of a foot and being in a normal drive attitude holds the steering column portion 26 between the leg portions 30 and 30 as shown in FIG. 9, and a knee 31 thereof is arranged at a position substantially opposing to the brake master vac mounting portion 25a and the clutch master vac mounting portion 24a so as to be comparatively close thereto.
The brake master vac mounting portion 25a and the clutch master vac mounting portion 24a are arranged along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and are respectively constituted by a brake pedal bracket 37, a brake master vac 27 and a brake master cylinder 28, and a clutch pedal bracket 1a, a clutch master vac 6, a clutch master cylinder 7 and the like. The brake master vac 27 and the clutch master vac 6 are arranged so that front surfaces thereof are respectively fixed to the brake pedal bracket 37 and the clutch pedal bracket 1a, and the brake master cylinder 28 and the clutch master cylinder 7 are respectively arranged so that rear surfaces thereof are directed to the knee 31 side. The brake pedal bracket 37 and the clutch pedal bracket 1a are respectively connected and supported to a front frame 21 and a front mount rail 22 which are connected to upper and lower portions of the front panel 19, as shown in FIG. 10. In this case, a brake pedal 29 and a clutch pedal 5 (FIG. 1) are respectively connected to the brake pedal bracket 37 and the clutch pedal bracket 1a. 
On the contrary, the steering column portion 26 is constituted by a steering boot 32 connected to the floor panel 23, a steering cowl 33 arranged thereabove, a steering shaft 35 supported to a steering support bracket 34, a steering handle 36 or the like. These elements are arranged at the position held between the leg portions 30 and 30 of the driver as mentioned above, and the steering handle 36 is arranged close to the driver""s side.
When a great force is applied to the vehicle having the structure mentioned above at a time of collision or the like, as shown in FIG. 11, the front panel 19 moves rearward, the brake pedal bracket 37 and the clutch pedal bracket 1a are pressed, and the brake master vac mounting portion 25a and the clutch master vac mounting portion 24a largely moves rearward. On the contrary, the driver is pressed forward due to an inertia force, and the leg 31 moves to a position shown by a solid line from a position shown by a dot line in the drawing. Accordingly, there is a possibility that the knee 31 is brought into contact with the brake master cylinder 28 and a rear end 7a of the clutch master cylinder 7.
In order to solve the problem mentioned above, various kinds of devices have been conventionally proposed, for example, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication Nos. 62-56378, 62-59580 and 7-31516 can be listed up.
xe2x80x9cInstrument Panel Frame of Automobilexe2x80x9d described in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 62-56378 corresponds to a structure in which a flange and an inclined surface are formed in the instrument panel frame provided in a lower portion of the instrument panel in a vehicle having equipment such as a master vac of a brake, a heater unit and the like within a vehicle body in front of the instrument panel so as to change directions of the master vac of the brake and the heater unit by the flange and the inclined surface when an external force is applied at a time of collision or the like, thereby preventing the elements from entering to the driver""s side, and as the result, a safety is kept. Accordingly, the structure itself is effective, however, is largely different from the present invention mentioned below in view of the structure.
Further, xe2x80x9cVehicle Panelxe2x80x9d described in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 62-59580 corresponds to a structure in which a slit is provided in a panel arranged in such a manner as to oppose to a front end of a brake device, and the front end of the brake device expands the slit and enters to the panel side at a time when an external force is applied, so as to reduce an impact force applied to the brake device, thereby preventing the brake device from moving rearward to the steering side. The slit portion may be compared with a weakened portion in accordance with the present invention mentioned below, however, the known art is as a whole largely different from the present invention in view of the structure.
Further, xe2x80x9cKnee Protector of Automobilexe2x80x9d described in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 7-31516 corresponds to a structure in which a knee protector for covering a rear end side of a member such as a master cylinder is provided therein so as to prevent the master cylinder from being directly brought into contact with a leg portion of a driver and the knee protector is deformed so as to shift the leg portion brought into contact with the knee protector in an oblique direction, thereby reducing an impact force applied to the leg portion. That is, an object of the prior art is to reduce an application of the impact force due to the collision, and is not to prevent a rigid member such as a master cylinder from being brought into contact with the leg portion in accordance with the present invention. Accordingly, this prior art is different from the present invention in view of a structure, an object and an effect.
The present invention is made by taking the matters mentioned above into consideration, and an object of the present invention is to provide a crash safety device of a vehicle which securely prevents a brake master vac mounting portion and a clutch master vac mounting portion from being brought into contact with a leg portion of a driver by comparatively simple means for changing support positions of the brake master vac mounting portion and the clutch master vac mounting portion at a time when a great force is applied such as at a vehicle collision time or the like, thereby keeping a safety of the driver.
In order to achieve the object mentioned above, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a collision safety device for preventing a knee of a driver from interfering with a brake master vac mounting portion and a clutch master vac mounting portion in a vehicle at a time when an external force is applied at a time of collision of a vehicle or the like, the brake master vac mounting portion being supported to a pedal bracket arranged at a position substantially opposing to the knee of the driver and fixed to a rigid member such as a dash panel or the like in a front surface side of a cab, wherein the pedal bracket of the master vac mounting portion arranged along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle is provided with a first bracket having a bent portion for fixing a master vac to a rear surface side and fixing a front surface side to the rigid member and a second bracket supported to the first bracket in a cantilever manner and having a striker extending forward along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and including a front end side arranged in a free end side thereof so as to pass through the rigid member, and a weakened portion is formed in the bent portion of the first bracket and a base end portion of the striker in the second bracket.
In more particular, the structure is characterized in that a guide hole for holding the striker is provided in the rigid member through which the striker passes.
At a time when an external force is applied, the front panel or the like moves rearward so as to intend to press the brake master vac mounting portion and the clutch master vac mounting portion fixed to the rigid member such as the dash panel or the like to the driver side. However, in the case of the present invention, the front panel or the like is brought into contact with the striker of the pedal bracket so as to press the striker. The striker is structured such as to be supported in a cantilever manner to the first bracket side of the pedal bracket so as to apply a moment to the first bracket side. Further, since a weakened portion is formed in the base end portion of the striker and the first bracket, the pedal bracket is deformed due to an application of the moment generated by a pressing force applied to the striker and moves in a direction of moving apart from the knee of the driver, thereby preventing the knee from interfering with the master vac mounting portions mentioned above.
Further, when arranging the brake master vac, the brake master cylinder and the like in the brake master vac mounting portion in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, it is possible to prevent the knee from interfering with the elements at a time when the external force is applied. In accordance with the structure mentioned above, it is possible to secure a safety of the driver.